Rich Ross

Former chairman of Walt Disney Studios, Independent

Search every verified Rich Ross interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Rich Ross, the former chairman of Walt Disney Studios and former group president of Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Science Channel, has been working on an independent film project. In a podcast published in October 2025, Ross discussed casting the actor Eric Roberts, describing him as "Julia Roberts' brother" and noting that he had been in "like 800 films." Ross said he obtained Roberts's agent's email address and that Roberts was expected to record his scenes "relatively soon." He characterized the opportunity to involve Roberts as one he would not turn down, and described the situation of a "young lad from Peter Head" making his own film and potentially having "Julia Roberts' brother" involved as "hilarious." Earlier in his career, Ross oversaw the global expansion of Disney Channels Worldwide and served as chairman of Walt Disney Studios. At Discovery, he emphasized the importance of authentic storytelling and global reach, stating that the company's goal was to "reach a billion people." He also spoke about the need for greater diversity in programming, saying, "Why don't we have more women, African‑Americans, Latinos — we have to make programming where people see themselves."